


The pain was a constant remainder

by thescarletwitchh



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Tony Stark, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 20:33:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18351194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thescarletwitchh/pseuds/thescarletwitchh
Summary: Tony Stark has been in love with his best friend since pretty much the day they met, but only to notice it recently, a couple dumb decisions, and a chase later Rhodey finally was able to catch up to him





	The pain was a constant remainder

**Author's Note:**

> I suggest listening to flares by the script while reading this, also ive been asleep for 3 hours so excuse the spelling mistakes

Tony Stark has always been considered a shallow human being in the eyes of the public, nothing on his mind except the company, his creations, and women. For the longest time even tony himself believed that, and no matter how much his friends had told him otherwise, he believed that they were complimenting him. That is, until he found himself in a situation he thought was impossible, in love with his best friend.

Rhodey, This may be the stupidest, yet greatest thing I’ve done yet. I am a coward, and this is the only way I could’ve done this without fucking up our friendship. I love you, like LOVE-love you. I think I’ve known it since our MIT days, but even then everything was so confusing and I was sure you only cared for me like you’d care for a younger brother, and then mom and dad died. I clammed myself up, and refused to let you or anyone in (I don’t even know what that means but It’s what everyone else keeps saying, it doesn’t make much sense to me, but that’s besides the point). This is just me distracting myself from the inevitable truth, which is that I’m in love with my best friend, I’m in love with you. You’ve given me the love and care that apparently, I’ve strived to have all my life. You were always there for me, and loved me (platonically) unconditionally, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life, and that why I refuse to let you get sucked in my whirlpool of self-loathing and self-destruct. You deserve someone that’ll always be there for you, someone that won’t hide themselves in a lab or weeks and months because they can’t stand to be around themselves anymore. You deserve love, compassion, and a person that’ll be there for you emotionally and physically. It brought me so much pain to realise that I wasn’t that person, but it broke my heart when I realised how self I would be if I kept you around me, constantly begging for you, constantly distracting you from your own life, and own work. Even this, here, this letter is a symbol of just how much I only care about myself, and what would make me feel comfortable. Of course, the only thing that would make me happy is to be in your arms, but I’ve come to terms that I can never have that, or at least I’m trying to. A day ago I left, booked a discrete flight and am staying somewhere where I can be alone, and just deal with the inevitable pain that will come from when I next see you, secretly hoping you wouldn’t hate me too much next time you look at my face.

                                                                                                                                                                   All the love, Tones.

Rhodey read and re-read the letter over and over again. ** _No. This can’t be happening. He loves me? And this is how he tells me? When will I see him again? Will I even see him again? That fucking bastard. Tony fucking Stark_**. ** _I’m not losing you this easily. Not like this. Not without a fight_**.

By the time Rhodey had arrived at Pepper’s apartment, he was in tears, Tony’s words replaying on his mind, it’s like he could feel Tony’s pain, it’s like he could feel how conflicted Tony was. He didn’t even notice how hard he was banging on Pepper’s door until she had pulled him inside. “What is the matter with you? Why are you banging on the door so hard?” Pepper asked with an angry look on her face, but concern etched in her words. “Tony, he left and left me this letter, pepper he loves me.” Rhodey was breathless he couldn’t believe his luck. “Pepper please tell me you know where he is?” His eyes filled to the brink with emotions, his voice filled with desperation, “I don’t know where he is Rhodey, you know how tony is, he’s very discrete when he wants to be…” It broke Pepper to say those words, seeing the state Tony was in before he left, and the state Rhodey’s in now. Her mind was racing, she wanted to help in anyway possible. “No, it can’t end like this no” Rhodey was on the brink of breaking, so Pepper offered a hug which he immediately took, yet with her mind still racing she was able to find a way, a slim chance that they can track down Tony. “Wait here Rhodes, I’ll make some phone calls okay? It’s not going to end like this” Pepper said with so much promise in her voice, she wasn’t going to give up on these two idiots not yet.

 

It was only 15 mins but for Rhodey it felt like days, all he wanted to do was hug tony, hold him, tell him that he’s loved him since the start, that he was also scared, that he was also an idiot. He just wanted Tony. “Okay so I know which state tony left to, but in order to get the exact place we’ll have ask J.A.R.V.I.S” Pepper walked out of the room fully dressed, she was on a role now, fixing her hair as she left the room, she almost didn’t notice how broken Rhodey looked. She moved to sit next to him, wrapped an arm around him. “We’re going to find him Rhodes, I swear” Her reassuring words were enough to get Rhodey off his ass and into his car, Pepper driving. When they got back to Tony’s house it was unusually quiet, it sent a chill down Rhodey’s spine. They moved towards one of the screens.

“Jarvis?”

**“Welcome, Colonel Rhodes. How may I help you?”**

“Uh Jarvis we know tony took a plane to Sacramento, Are you aware of any Stark owned Buildings there? Somewhere Tony might be?”

**“According to my data base there are no Stark owned or operated buildings in Sacramento. But a couple years ago, Mr. Stark did rent an apartment in Sacramento here’s the address”**

“Thank you Jarvis, really, thank you so much”

**“No problem sir, anything for you and Mr. Stark’s happiness”**

“Wait what- You knew?”

**“I might be an artificial intelligence now, but I used to be a human once, sir. I saw how you looked at each other, I always knew.”**

“Oh-uh, right, thank you once again, and please don’t tell tony, you know if he asks”

**“Of course, sir”**

\--------------------------

 _ **1 Hour and 30 mins. 1 Hour and 30 mins, and I’ll get to see tony. I’ll get to talk to tony.**_ ~~ _ **I’d get to kick Tony’s ass**_.~~ The plane ride was from hell, Rhodey was scared, yet excited. Happy, yet void of energy. He just couldn’t wait to go see tony, but what would he say? would it be the right thing to say? Rhodey spent the rest of the plane ride trapped in his own mind. The Taxi cab came to a stop in front of a small apartment building, in a very quiet neighbourhood “Tony really does know how to be discrete” He muttered bitterly, he paid the cab, grabbed his bag and rushed up the stairs.

He reached the apartment and as he was about to knock a stranger interrupted him. “uh hey man, sorry for stopping you, but the guy left” Rhodey paled. “What? When? Did he tell you where?” Rhodey’s breathing was starting to become frantic. “Uh no, but he pretty much packed up and left, said I could use the apartment for the month long rent he paid, but wont use.” Rhodey started to panic, **_what now? Where do I go? What do I do? WHAT NOW?_**. It was almost like the stranger had heard his thoughts “uh listen man I’m not sure of what I heard but I think I heard him mutter that he’s going home” Rhodey looked up “when did he leave?” the guy looked at his watch, “about 20 mins” GOOD. GOOD. “ah thank you! Thank you! Thank youuuu!” Rhodey picked up his bags, ran down stairs and hailed a cab rushing to the airport.

He got to the airport his eyes were practically in the middle of his head looking for the brown haired, short man. Anyone would’ve found it hard to find a guy with this description, but this was _tony_ and he was going to find him. After fifteen mins of asking for directions and looking around he finally managed to get to the only airline selling tickets to California today, of course this had been a huge risk, tony could’ve taken a stark jet, but at this point Rhodey would just jump out of it, to catch another one. Rhodey got onto the plane rushing through the aisles, he did not give a fuck. “Tony?? Tony?? ANHTONY EDWARD STARK!” Rhodey screamed, the entire plane fell slight the flight attendances were trying to calm Rhodey down, but he just told them that he has a ticket and is a military colonel, so they shut up. The brown-haired man finally appeared, after one of the flight attendees heard Rhodey’s screams and notified Tony. “Anthony. Edward. Stark. You dumbass. You absolute idiot.” Rhodey said making his way up to tony. “Rhodey i- um” He faltered, what could he possibly say now? “No, Shut up, its my turn. Tony I’ve loved you since our MIT days, I never noticed it until you turned 18, you came over for Christmas, and mama told me ‘when are you going to realise that you’re in love with that boy’. After that I wanted to tell you, but then your parents died, you shut yourself up. And after that I chickened out.” Rhodey took in a shaky breath, he didn’t notice that he wasn’t even breathing, he looked at tony, a few tears had left Tony’s eyes, Rhodey gently wiped his tears away cupping his face. “You’re the kindest, strongest, most caring person I know – don’t tell ma” They lightly laughed “I love you, tony. Like love-love” Rhodey said, now the tears where spilling from his eyes. “I love you too, honeybear” Tony whispered. Rhodey took this as an opportunity to do what he’s wanted to do for a long time, he kissed him.


End file.
